Hempstead, NY –Seven Hofstra wrestlers will compete in USA Wrestling's University Nationals this Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, at the Louis and Freda Stile Athletic Field House on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on both days of competition.

Scheduled to compete from Hofstra are red-shirt freshmen Garrett Lambert (61kg/134.5) and Ricky Stamm (74kg/163.0); sophomores Vinny Vespa (61kg/134.5) and Sage Heller (80kg/176.4); red-shirt juniors Nezar Haddad (98kg/216.1) and Cory Damiana (86kg/189.6); and senior Michael Hughes (125kg/275.6).

Hughes, a 2016 NCAA Championship qualifier from Smithtown, New York, took a red-shirt season last year but posted an 18-2 record as an unattached wrestler. Heller, from Riverwoods, Illinois, was 23-17 in his first season of competition for the Pride in 2016-17. He is a member of the United States Team for the 20^th World Maccabiah Games in Israel from July 4 through 18. Vespa, from Monroe, New York, recorded an 18-17 mark including a 5-4 slate in Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association matches last season. Haddad, from Orefield, Pennsylvania, posted a 15-13 record including a 7-2 mark in EIWA matches in 2016-17. Stamm, from Levittown, New York, was 18-5 in open competitions last season. Damiana, from Cape May, New Jersey, started for the Pride in his first two seasons before red-shirting last season. Lambert, from Strongsville, Ohio, red-shirted last season with an injury.

Competitors in the University Nationals must be officially registered as proceeding toward a degree or diploma at a university or similar institute, or former students of the aforementioned institutions, who have obtained their academic degree or diploma in the year preceding the event.

While no returning freestyle champions from the 2016 University Nationals are expected to compete, the University freestyle division features some of the top college wrestlers in the country including 2014 NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis (70 kg/154 lbs.), 2016 NCAA champion Myles Martin (86 kg/189 lbs.) and 2017 NCAA finalists Ethan Lizak (57 kg/125 lbs.) and Joey LaVallee (74 kg) and 2016 NCAA finalist Brandon Sorenson (70 kg). Other notable college stars include two-time NCAA Div. I All-Americans Earl Hall of Iowa State, Kevin Jack of NC State and Daniel Lewis of Missouri, 2017 All-Americans Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State and Tanner Hall of Arizona State and 2016 All-American Pete Renda of NC State.

Every match from the University Nationals will be live streamed and archived online at Flowrestling.com. To view the live stream, one must be a member of Flowrestling's FloPro premium service which prices out at $20 per month or $150 for an entire year subscription. Brackets for the event will also be provided by Flowrestling on its FloArena platform.